Day: April 27, 2022

Boxing News: Team Bradley Wins Shakur Stevenson Over Oscar Valdez

Boxing News Team Bradley Wins Shakur Stevenson Over Oscar Valdez. Bradley’s team is leaning towards WBO super featherweight champion Shakur Stevenson (17-0, 9 KOs) to beat WBC champion Oscar Valdez this Saturday night.  They meet in the main event fight on ESPN+ at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Bradley feels Shakur, 24, has the edge in the smart ring, and his hand speed & foot speed will be a problem for Valdez. Also, Stevenson’s 5’7″ size advantage over 5’5 1/2″ will work in his favor. Shakur was also big enough to campaign as a lightweight boxer but chose to merge and fight against smaller fighters like Valdez at super-featherweight.

This was a smart thing for Stevenson to do because he beats people in size alone. He also doesn’t have to worry about the power of a few killers at 135. If Shakur goes from weight to lighter, he needs to shut out 12 virtual rounds without getting hit. to make sure he’s not starched by players like Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis or Ryan Garcia. At 130, Shakur is safe and doesn’t have to worry about getting hit by a man with the force of one hit.

“This is a very good fight. Valdez, you can never count them. He’s a winner,” Tim Bradley told Fight Hub TV during Saturday night’s Oscar Valdez vs Shakur Stevenson unification match on ESPN+.

“Shakur, the same thing; he’s a winner. We’ve never really seen him with such a smart guy in the ring, ” Bradley.

Shakur is Smarter

“He is a two-time Olympian, a man who has the power to punch with both hands, a man who was coached by Eddy Reynoso and has evolved into a boxer/puncher instead of this slugger. He [Valdez] showed great legs and grit in his fight with [Miguel] Berchelt. I thought it was the perfect style match for him to look impressive. He had a guy who came straight forward, who I thought would beat him, but he used great defensive moves to set up his attacks, starting with a beautiful jab. He has a strong punch. This should be an entertaining fight. I would have liked Shakur more because he’s a lot smarter,” Bradley said.

Valdez had the kind of power that Stevenson could fit in if he could land enough shots on him. We’ve seen Stevenson show courage against non-hitting. , He is however up against a fighter who can punch. He’s very negative, ready to run at the first sign of danger. You have to believe Stevenson will be ready to flip gears all night on Saturday. Especially if Oscar even looks like he’s thinking of throwing something because he doesn’t seem to believe in his chin or his ability to dodge or block shots. Stevenson’s defense is his feet. As he grew older in his early to mid-30s, his career would end in much the same way as Roy Jones Jr.

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Eddie Hearn Predicts Canelo Will Have Difficulty Facing Bivol

Eddie Hearn Predicts Canelo Will Have Difficulty Facing Bivol. Eddie Hearn voices concern about what Canelo Alvarez will face next week when he climbs to 175  lb to challenge WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol on May 7. Canelo (57-1-2, 39 KOs) and his coach/manager Eddy Reynoso felt they knew what they were getting into by choosing Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs) as their next opponent. However, if they were wrong. Canelo could be involved in a firefight that would be disastrous. Canelo doesn’t need to take this fight against 31-year-old Bivol, as he can hold on to 168 lb and retain four of his belts. Some boxing fans believe Canelo is caught between a rock and a hard place at 168 lb.

If the Mexican star survives at super-middleweight, he will be in the unpleasant position of having to face the winner of the May 21 bout between David Benavidez and David Lemieux next. It is widely believed Canelo doesn’t want the part of Benavidez because he is too big, too young, and too strong. Also, Benavidez’s punch output is too high for Canelo. With Canelo going up to 175 to fight Bivol, he didn’t have to worry about getting hurt.

“Obviously, the Gennadiy Golovkin trilogy is up there, an undeniable potential fight at 175 pounds. That guy can really do what he wants. He has to win next week.” Eddie Hearn told Fight Hub TV about Canelo Alvarez’s options if he passes Dmitry Bivol next week on May 7. “I will tell you this Bivol fight is a very, very tough fight,” continued Hearn of Canelo’s next opponent.

Golovkin will be the Next Opponent for Canelo at 168

“Dmitry Bivol is fresh; he’s young, he’s big, he hits hard, he has amazing feet. It was a very good match between two elite fighters. Canelo was very difficult to beat. I really believe we’ll be getting a thriller next week in Vegas,” Hearn said of the Canelo vs. Bivol fight.

“I thought it was a good performance,” said Hearn of Golovkin’s rematch against WBA middleweight champion Ryota Murata on April 9. “Gennadiy always starts slowly but also remembers two things. Number one, he hasn’t boxed for over four hundred days. Number two, he went to that guy’s backyard to fight him. He had a slow start, he was beaten a bit, and he went into gear, knocked the guy down, and unified the division. Is Gennadiy as fresh as it used to be? Maybe not, but he’s very dangerous. I think he’d be perfect for going up to 168 pounds since he’s made 160 for most of his life. I think it will be very interesting if Canelo Alvarez can beat Bivol next week to make a trilogy fight at 168. ” Hearn said, “Yes,” when asked if the Canelo vs Golovkin III fight would take place at 168.

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